German Fights for Refund After Eating Rotten Lobster at Popular Pattaya Seafood Restaurant

[impulse]

In my experience, the best hope for justice is to be a pain in the arse, right there and then. They know the majority of people will cower and cave, but if you show them, not this time, you can often win the dispute.

Even at 1000:1 odds, the chances of $60,000 worth of reconstructive face surgery back home against arguing a $60 bill for a rotten lobster- after being declined a refund?

The guy did the wise thing. Especially if he's not familiar with the etiquette of complaining like a long stay expat.

Edited July 13, 2016 by impulse

[Mickmouse1]

I would have refused to pay and ask them to call the police or Call them myself before gets beaten up???

[Peterw42]

Big Update

This story was just on the Television News. Restaurant owner saying He ate all of it. then complained then left.

Took the empty shell to police.

That is just a lie , he only ate the tail. Evidence is at the police station.

Wow, that takes it to another level, telling lies as well.

[thesetat2013]

The staff excuse, he ate a bite, makes me wonder.

If it was rotten as the police agree, would they have just served the unmolested foul sea cockroach to another unsuspecting tourist?

I guess there are limits.

You can't serve it with a bite out of it, eh?

I admire the complaining tourist's persistence although whether he will actually get a refund is another question, and seems doubtful.

If it had happened to me, I would have probably tried to be more aggressive with the restaurant's management and been much less willing to pay for the allegedly rotten food.

I think he did the right thing.. the restaurant clearly refused him another lobster as well as a refund. But look here! He has gotten his story in the news. Since times of late this is the best way to get a problem solved or to get justice from being ripped off.

Even if the police do nothing, people will take notice and I am certain that a police report would be made for this giving the restaurants name. If he posts it online in FB the Army may jump in and force the restaurant to be closed as it sheds Thailand tourist hots pot in a bad light.

[onemorechang]

Similarly, when I'm sat enjoying a quite drink and suddenly there's a street vendor in my ear, squeezing a rubber chicken that lights up and makes the sound of a drowning cat, I'm supposed to bow my head and say the immortal words 'mai ao kap', rather than try to explain that, in my mid 40s with no dependent kids, I don't really have a need for a rubber chicken that lights up and sounds like a tortured cat and perhaps said vendor should diversify into something middle aged men would actually consider purchasing. And no, not a stocking with a print on it that I can wear on my forearm and pretend it's a tattoo, nor a plastic dog turd. That is also seen a bad practice.

Come on, the rubber chicken is still funny, take one in a bar, pull it out someone will laugh.

Edited July 13, 2016 by onemorechang

[nodomino]

I think he's done the right thing here. Looks like he calmly took the evidence to the cops; no shouting the place down or ending up in a fist fight. I don't get the 'quality tourist' jibe. How many of us have had a really bad meal and been blatantly ripped off? It was hardly a bad somtum from a street stall. He's not got what he paid for and hopefully the cops will tell the restaurant to smarten up... but probably not.

Thailand's municipalities simply do not have the requisite infrastructure as well as deficiencies in other significant capabilities to provide reliable food safety. Most people who are observant will recognize this and take precautions, as the gentleman in this story did.

[MockingJay]

Why would anyone eat rotten lobster? Is it a delicacy?

[steve73]

The follow-up report clearly name the restaurant as King Seafood.....

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/227310/king-seafood-inspected-after-germans-rotten-lobster-accusation/

[crazyk]

Some people can be a bit shellfish

[Bender]

complaining??!!

members herer are living dangerously i see!

Yesterday a foreigner was severely beaten in walking street for an allegedly 4200 baht bill in a gogo...pattaya is place to stay away!

[Baerboxer]

Another wonderful promotion for Thailand and the "Thai Way" ...

Really luudee...I don't know where your from, but can you imagine walking into a police station in New York or London with some fish & chips & expecting them to leap into action because it wasn't up to standard.........Some of you guys really live in fantasy land when you dream of how a farang should be treated........ you should have been around about 150 years ago, along with Somerset Maugham when the sun never set on the Empire---being a white man then you may have got the treatment you feel you deserve now.......

.

White man served bad lobster.......150 lashes for the cook

The thing is , in London or New York , you dont need to escalate things up to the Police to get rotten food replaced. Given that ambient honnesty is far better than in Thailand

Two friends of mine complained to a restaurant, an expensive country restaurant, about the quality in the UK. They and there two Asian wives were manhandled out and told not to come back. They also made a couple of racist remarks which was enough to interest the local police force. Although they had the satisfaction of knowing that the boss had been taken to the local police station, told off and warned they didn't get any refund.

So no, the honesty and ethics isn't always wonderful in the West.

[arithai12]

Well done Mr Wolfgang,

and by the way I thought you were Anthony Hopkins.

[Sean87s]

Another wonderful promotion for Thailand and the "Thai Way" ...

Really luudee...I don't know where your from, but can you imagine walking into a police station in New York or London with some fish & chips & expecting them to leap into action because it wasn't up to standard.........Some of you guys really live in fantasy land when you dream of how a farang should be treated........ you should have been around about 150 years ago, along with Somerset Maugham when the sun never set on the Empire---being a white man then you may have got the treatment you feel you deserve now.......

.

White man served bad lobster.......150 lashes for the cook

If i had a bad lobster in Sweden and the restaurant refused to replace it it would have been ALL OVER THE NEWS. I mean they probably would have shut down the place.

But i wouldnt really bother in Thailand, id just go home or go and get a burger. Some people think the small amount of pocket change they paid for food is worth the hassle of going to the Thai Police.

[Thomas Hannah]

Its not a police matter.Its a cival case.End of story.Dont eat there again.

[JHolmesJr]

One reason I go to sea food restaurants in Ban Saray next to the fishing boats, fresh, much lower prices and nice and quiet during weekdays. Win win.

What is the one at Naklua Soi 5 called?

Good prices, always crowded so you can be sure they don't serve much leftovers….

[swanny321]

They do say a fish rots from the head down, I'm not sure about a crustyasian!

[Mangostin]

What a disgraceful bunch of (unnamed) "robsters"

Edited July 13, 2016 by Mangostin

[catman20]

fair play to the man it needs a few more people like this to stand up and be counted.

[sawadee1947]

how you can find out that it's rotten if you don't taste? And it's absolutely new to me that you can't eat the claw's meat.

[arrowsdawdle]

I think he's done the right thing here. Looks like he calmly took the evidence to the cops; no shouting the place down or ending up in a fist fight. I don't get the 'quality tourist' jibe. How many of us have had a really bad meal and been blatantly ripped off? It was hardly a bad somtum from a street stall. He's not got what he paid for and hopefully the cops will tell the restaurant to smarten up... but probably not.

That is the least of his problems. You cannot even have restaurant reviews in LOS due to honesty being classified as defamation. The loss of face, even by word of mouth in the report to the BIB, suggests that if he survives any attempts on his life, coming months will see the crooked courts of Siam coming down on his farang arse.

[Isaandon]

Update: King Seafood on Walking Street inspected by Public Health Officer and you wont even believe this BS...TIT

[SunsetT]

Although I have been eating street food for 10 years in Thailand, I have only ever had food poisoning twice and both from seafood restaurants. Once from a restaurant in Walking Street Pattaya and once from a restaurant in the night market at Hua Hin.

All you ever get when you complain about something anyway is a totally innappropriate stupid grin! Never an apology. And If you complain and send a dish back and order something different the original usually still appears on the bill.

The one that really gets me, and it's happened more than once, is if you order individual meals say for 4 or 5 people. 4 meals arrive and after 10 mins you ask where the 5th is and the waitress comes back and says its sold out but no one has bothered to come and tell you so u can order something different. It happened one late evening somewhere we ate regularly and 9 yr old son was left waiting while everyone else was tucking in. Then when trying to order something else for him was told that the kitchen was now closed. They are shameless!

Another time with 5 eating, 2 kids ordered cristy pork but had to wait while more rice was cooked.By the time the rice was cooked they'd sold all the crispy pork..........Lord give me strength! How the hell can a Thai restaurant run out of rice anyway. Me missus doesnt bat an eyelid....It doesnt bother her at all.

[mikosan]

He asked staff to replace his rotting lobster but was refused. The reason given was that he had already had a mouthful.

​ Was he there with his ladyboy friend?

What a stupid comment.

[ALFREDO]

I think he's done the right thing here. Looks like he calmly took the evidence to the cops; no shouting the place down or ending up in a fist fight. I don't get the 'quality tourist' jibe. How many of us have had a really bad meal and been blatantly ripped off? It was hardly a bad somtum from a street stall. He's not got what he paid for and hopefully the cops will tell the restaurant to smarten up... but probably not.

You cannot even have restaurant reviews in LOS due to honesty being classified as defamation.

You can

Tripadvisor writings about =KING Seafood Pattaya=

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293919-d1029109-Reviews-King_Seafood-Pattaya_Chonburi_Province.html

Edited July 13, 2016 by ALFREDO

[mettech]

The rotten food squad are looking good just being onto picture to newspaper or other, and about the german guy if the lobster was rotten than he should of trowing it to garbage and get some fresher one for the monetary exchange he gets com on this is really being cheap and more he should stay home to Germany instead of showing a bad example to other.

[bbbbooboo]

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/227310/king-seafood-inspected-after-germans-rotten-lobster-accusation/

[balo]

I am not a lobster expert , so does that mean only the body can be eaten and not the tail ? If it's been frozen ?

But if it's a living , fresh one you can eat everything ?

[webfact]

King Seafood Inspected after German’s Rotten Lobster Accusation



PATTAYA: -- 13th July, Mrs. Bupha Songsakulchai Sanitation Technical Officer, Professional Level Consumer Protection Chief, Pattaya and Public Health Officer went on location to Pattaya King Seafood on Walking Street, South Pattaya. to conduct an inspection.

Starting from the showcase in the front before reviewing the cooking process Mrs. Bupha acknowledged the procedure was correct in that the frozen food items were covered with ice. After that she moved to question the staff responsible for advising customers. It was noted that the staff stressed to customers that with the frozen lobsters only the body was for consumption, not other parts, as they were not freshly picked from the tank.

Mrs. Bupha said there were no irregularities found in her inspection and she also added that the lobster in the case of Mr Hoelderirch Wolfgang could only be examined for freshness within 4 hours, not after 4 hours.

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/227310/king-seafood-inspected-after-germans-rotten-lobster-accusation/


-- Pattaya One 2016-07-14

[jacko45k]

Terrible customer service. It seems apparent any manager could have confirmed what the guy was saying, or not, and handled this better.

I wonder if the guy picked it himself......

If it truly was off this could have given him a serious life threatening illness. The cook, waiter etc all seemed to ignore this.

Personally I do not use these places as they are a tourist trap, over-priced and they even charge for cold wipes which they present to you like a hospitable gift... then on-the-bill.

IE Money grabbing.

They do have a nice ambiance though, despite it being illegal.

Edited July 13, 2016 by jacko45k

[Yahooka]

Poor guy who was lured into this tourist trap in the first place .